Food & Wine

New Zealand Wine Tours and Luxury Dining Experiences

With a gentle, varied climate and thousands of kilometres of coastline, New Zealand is home to a stunning array of local food and wine. From the exquisite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc found in the rolling Marlborough wine region to freshly-caught seafood, New Zealand is a country worth savoring. And you can taste the most enticing vintages and dishes of this beguiling country with our New Zealand wine tours and fine dining experiences.

Fly by private helicopter to a stunning alpine ridge to enjoy an unforgettable champagne picnic. Taste wines on a private tour hosted by the vintner. Soak in the atmosphere of high country farm life with an exclusive meal at Mt Nicholas Station. Catch your own crayfish or trout for an immersive wild food experience.

These are just some of the top luxury wine and food experiences on offer in New Zealand. Read on to discover the very best of New Zealand’s exclusive food and wine scene.

New Zealand Wine Tours

New Zealand is home to 11 major wine regions, encompassing a wide variation in topography, from mild subtropical islands to rugged mountainous terrain. Around the world, New Zealand wines have gained recognition for their bold flavors and unique varietals.

Most iconic among the New Zealand wine regions are Marlborough, Central Otago, Hawkes Bay, and the micro-region of Waiheke Island. These New Zealand wine tours showcase the very best wineries in New Zealand.

Central Otago Wine Tours to Queenstown Wineries

Brennan Vineyard picnic wine tours Queenstown wineries wine tasting vineyards New Zealand

Wineries nestled in the spectacular, rugged hills of Central Otago are home to world-renowned Pinot Noir along with bold white wines. A Queenstown wine tour visiting these top vineyards makes for an unforgettable experience.

Choose from a variety of New Zealand wine tours on offer with Appellation Wine Tours, from private tours to helicopter wine tasting excursions.

Private Boutique Wine Tour

Spend an afternoon among the boutique vineyards of Central Otago with the 5.5-hour Private Boutique Wine Tour. Visit 4 premium vineyards in the Gibbston Valley, Bannockburn, and Cromwell sub-regions, enjoying 12-15 wine tastings and a sumptuous platter lunch accompanied by a glass of wine at a renowned vineyard restaurant.

This unforgettable wine tour offers a fantastic overview of the very best of Central Otago, with visits to internationally acclaimed vineyards and an abundance of dramatic scenery.

Private Gourmet Wine Tour

For a more leisurely and indulgent experience, the Private Gourmet Wine Tour tantalizes visitors with 6.5 hours of wine and cheese tasting combined with local sightseeing.

In addition to the highlights of the Private Boutique Wine Tour, enjoy a cheese and wine presentation, tour New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave, indulge in 5 gourmet dishes cooked in wine barrels and paired with matching wines, and stroll through Old Cromwell or the picturesque Arrowtown historic centre.

This tailor-made full day wine experience can be catered to your interests.

Exclusive Heli & Wine Experience

Take to the sky and discover New Zealand’s most picturesque wine region in luxury and style. Explore the mountains and valleys of Central Otago from air and land with a 45-minute helicopter flight combined with a scenic drive in a chauffeured luxury vehicle.

Along the way, taste wines from 3 premium wineries, indulge in an a la carte lunch and glass of wine at a vineyard restaurant, and land atop a ridge for panoramic views over Central Otago.

Central Otago Wine Tours to Wanaka Wineries

During a stay at Mahu Whenua, you have the opportunity to explore the region on a Central Otago wine tour centred around Wanaka.

Heli Wine Tour

Your experience begins when your helicopter taxi collects you directly from the on-site helipad at Mahu Whenua. Enjoy a scenic flight to a privately owned vineyard, where you will indulge in 6-8 tastings. From there, enjoy a gourmet platter lunch at Mt Difficulty. Finally, your helicopter will drop into the picturesque Cardrona Valley, where you will visit Cardrona Distillery for a final tasting before your return flight to Mahu Whenua.

Central Otago Wine & Craft Brewery Tour

On this privately chauffeured tour, travel by luxury vehicle to four boutique Central Otago vineyards and craft breweries in the Wanaka area. As you explore the dramatic region, your expert guide will bring the history and heritage of this incredible region to life. Taste premium wines and craft beers and indulge in a vineyard lunch.

Waiheke Island Wine Tours

Waiheke Island vineyards wine tours New Zealand

This boutique wine region delights visitors with a host of fresh local cuisine, from olive oil grown and pressed on Waiheke Island to oysters straight from Te Matuku Bay.

Indulge in the best the island has to offer on an unforgettable wine and food tour with Ananda Tours.

Choose from a range of private custom tours and group tours, with a range of experiences on offer, including tastings of wine, olive oil, and mussels; microbrewery visits; and gourmet platter lunches. New Zealand wine tours on Waiheke Island are an experience to be savoured.

Marlborough Wine Tours

Queen Charlotte Sound Marlborough dining cruise

During your stay at the Bay of Many Coves Resort or The Sounds Retreat in Marlborough Sounds, you have the option to experience a gourmet wine and food experience. These take in the exquisite vineyards of Marlborough New Zealand, our country’s largest and most acclaimed wine region, with a chance to sample the iconic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Bay of Many Coves Resort Wine Tours

Sample the best of the region on a personalised tour of the leading Marlborough wineries. We can design your experience to include a range of unforgettable food and wine highlights, from indulgent vineyard lunches and tastings at desired wineries to an opportunity to sample Marlborough Greenshell Mussels.

The Sounds Retreat Wine & Food Tours

Gourmet Food & Wine Tour

Experience the best of the Marlborough wine scene with this delicious gourmet tour. Designed for those with a real interest in wine and gourmet foods, this reserve-grade tour focuses on wine appreciation, wine and food matching, and wine education. The 6-hour tour includes transfers from The Sounds Retreat.

Land & Sea Tour

Enjoy a fabulous mix of the Marlborough wine region and the Marlborough Sounds in one day. Spend the morning visiting exquisite Marlborough wineries, finishing with a gourmet vineyard lunch. After that, board a Marlborough Sounds cruise for a leisurely afternoon of seafood tasting. This tour is 8 hours in duration and includes transfers from The Sounds Retreat.

Local Goat’s Cheese Farm Tour

Enjoy an unforgettable half day cheese-making tour and experience at the Cranky Goat, an award-winning local cheesery. Learn the cheese-making process, make your own cheese, and taste award-winning cheeses with a glass of Marlborough wine. The following day, the cheesemaker will deliver your own finished cheese to The Sounds Retreat.

These top luxury itineraries include New Zealand wine tours:

Helicopter Picnics

Queenstown helicopter tours scenic flights New Zealand

What better way to combine breathtaking scenery and fine cuisine than with a helicopter picnic. Heliworks will lift you high into the mountains, where you will land on a stunning alpine ridge to enjoy unparalleled views. Top destinations for helicopter picnics include Aoraki/Mt Cook and Queenstown, which are among New Zealand’s most scenic destinations.

This is an amazing choice for proposals, honeymoons, anniversary celebrations, or simply taking time out in an incredible location.

Aoraki/Mt Cook Heli Picnic

Fly into the magnificent landscapes of Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, where your private helicopter will land in a stunning alpine location. Enjoy a gourmet picnic hamper packed with the finest New Zealand produce, and pair your lunch with wine, beer, or bubbles. As you indulge in your delicious picnic, take in the breathtaking views in every direction.

Cecil Peak Paradise Picnic in Queenstown

Lift off and fly to a stunning Queenstown location, Cecil Peak, where you will land amidst breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu and the Southern Alps. Enjoy a gourmet picnic with fresh New Zealand produce and wine or bubbles while you savour the views.

Ultimate Paradise Picnic at The Hummocks in Queenstown

This location sits high above the shores of Lake Wakatipu, with views towards the head of the lake, a landscape of towering glacier-capped peaks. Only Heliworks offers access to this exclusive landing site, and the longer helicopter flight to The Hummocks showcases even more breathtaking scenery from the air.

Experience a helicopter picnic with these luxury itineraries:

High Country Farm Dining

Mt Nicholas Station things to do in Queenstown luxury helicopter lunch

High country stations shaped New Zealand’s early pioneering history, and many are still operational today, steeped in heritage charm. Many of these iconic high country stations are nestled in valleys and across hillsides around Queenstown and Wanaka. In addition, many luxury lodges are situated on sheep stations, taking advantage of the vast open spaces and commanding views these offer. Examples include Mahu Whenua in Wanaka and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay.

One of the best ways to enjoy the atmosphere of a historic high country station is with a gourmet meal.

Fiordland’s Finest Helicopter Excursion & Mt Nicholas Station Lunch

This extravagant full-day sightseeing adventure with Heliworks Queenstown combines a comprehensive helicopter tour of Fiordland National Park with a gourmet dining experience at Mt Nicholas Station.

Fly over the Richardson Mountain Range for the spectacular Earnslaw Burn, where your helicopter will land to take in views of Mt Earnslaw’s hanging glacier with waterfalls cascading below. Continue over the Hollyford Valley towards Mt Tutoko, the highest peak in Fiordland, before flying over the iconic Milford Sound to a rugged West Coast beach. On the return flight, take in views of the dramatic Sutherland Falls before landing at Mt Nicholas High Country Station.

Immerse yourself in the dramatic scenery with a hearty lunch at Old Nicholas Cottage before embarking on a 2 hour farm tour of Mt Nicholas Station. Finally, a water taxi will collect you for the return trip across Lake Wakatipu to Queenstown.

Wild Food

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From hunting and fishing to foraging for native plant species, New Zealand abounds with wild food opportunities.

Many luxury lodges offer the chance to connect with nature as you pursue the country’s best wild foods.

At Treetops Lodge Rotorua, experience the Estate to Plate Safari, the Wild Food Cooking School, or the Maori Food Trail. Embark on an expedition through the forest as you discover local wild foods and forage for the ingredients for a gourmet meal.

At Salt + Earth Te Anau, indulge in a sumptuous Taste Fiordland Dining Experience. Sample the best of Fiordland’s wild food, including crayfish, venison, paua, and blue cod. For an even more immersive experience, join your host in harvesting your own crayfish off the Fiordland coast on a helicopter-accessed snorkeling expedition.

Christchurch Tramway Restaurant Dinner

For a unique dining experience, board the Christchurch Tramway for a memorable dinner as you tour the city centre. Enjoy a welcome drink and four-course meal using New Zealand produce on this heritage tram.

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New Zealand Wine Tours and Luxury Dining Experiences

New Zealand Wine Tours